Steering-gear.



W. H. KEI'IERl STEERING GEAR. APPLICATION FILED APR.11. IQIO.

Aw r E L. .555.555 QN1,/im L 1 Patented Feb.18,1913.

.W4 E, KEMER STEEMNQGEAR. PPLIOA'TION FILED umu. 1910*.. v Y 1 1 Patentedxeb.-18,'1913.

a Mmmm-HEBT 2.

Wi H. KEMER.- STEERING GEAR.

APPLIGA'IION FILED APR. 11,V-1910.

Patentd Feb. 18, 1913 To all whom t may concern:

WILLIAM H. 'KEITER OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS.v

STEERING-GEAR.

Be it known that I', WILLIAM HKEITER;

a citizen of the United States, residing at Peoria, in the countyl of Peoria and Stat-e ot Illinois, vhave invented certain new and usei'ulmprovements in Steering-Gear; and I tlohereby declare that 'the following is a full,r clear, and exact description of 'the iiivention, which will enablel others skilled in the artA to which it appertains. to make. and usethesame. -1 This invention pertains tof steering appavratus and relates more particularly to the` steering gear of traction engines that can be operated by' steam or air'pressure.'`

The primary object of the invention is 'to 'A provide a steering gear that may be operated Y' by"'steaniorother pressure whereby to rei lieve the' operator of. considerable labor and also to'. a-ke the steering operation a quick onsthough'having the 'mechanism' under.

perfect control.

A* further Object is to provide a. sae-'fiile' gear operated bypressure agaiiist'a Api'ston v gear'which includes a piston operated? by andy provide in conjunction therewith' an automatic lock" for such gear when the pres- ,siir'eis removed.` v l *Another object is to provide a steering' 'steam or au; pressure and controlled 4bya iuid inclosed within a cylinder whichfgc stitutes a `lock for the steering-,gear 'i the steam or air pressure is removed.

Another object is to provide a piston erated' by steam or air pressure, ai

' controlled by a fluid, a valve for 'controlling the ste-am, and a valve to control thetiuidi Afurther object is to provide a cylinder, of two compartments, a piston for each and' y 'a piston-rod extending into both compart-A ments tocarry said pistons, one of the latter being operated by a gas, the other controlled Aby ari/imprisoned Huid.

Other objects will appear in the accom? panying specification and although the iiif vention is susceptible of' various changes it is shown in one of its preferred einbodiments inthe accompanying drawings in which:'. f.

Figure'l is engine "showing my a-side elevation of a traction tical longitudinal section 'of a cylinder lsurname parts of my'eering @meats Specification of Letters Patent.

Said invention attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a plan of a portion vofthe' engine and my invention. Fig. 3 is averl.

" .valvearm lying'parallel to the` arm U and rammed Feb. 18,1913.A

Application led April 11, 1910. Serial No. 554,868.

i. Fig. 4c is a front elevation of part of theV steering mechanism.4 Fig. 5 is a ver-tical section of a steam valve, and Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the same in partsection.

An advantage of steering gearisvthat it is vdesigned as an 'attachment for a'trac-v tion engine and said engine does not require rebuilding or a rearrangementof itsvv parts iny order to adapt it ttor the 'reception'ofithe" invention, the attachment being so con- Y 'structed th'at it may be placed upon almost any 'make or typel of engine with butlittle work.

Secured to the boiler of the engine A are the usual brackets .B for supporting the trunnions C of the usual winding-drum D there yalso being the usual worm-wheel E .ong the latter and a. worm F 'carried by a .shaft Gr lon which. is the steering wheel'H this .A all being common to traction engines :'andalthough the winding drum is not necessary to'thev operation of'mysteering gear,- andis not a part'of my invention, it is 'shownjand may be. used at any time for steering purposes without being interfered vwith by my structure.

A. cylinder of two portions indicatedby* vandxL separated by a central dividing Wall' or head M, Fig. 3, is located beneath -e boiler behind the steering wheels J.

y Vfor convenience in `constructing it 'linde-ris' madeof the two portions 4'edtheir adjacent ends being faced ithfthe said head M clamped bet-Ween .Said-head .is provided with a stuitg-box 4N through .whichv extends a piston- .,ternii'nating 'at'oneend within the ccavity -tlie'eylinder-portion K and provide ithf-"af piston-head P' in said cavity. vd-.al's'ohas."apiston-head Q within lthe portion'L of the cylinderv and the free :endet 'thfIOd 'extends throughthe .forward end of cylinder 4and a 'stuffing box R. The endsfoftheleylinder cavity having the 100 piston *he-'adware 'connected through-:a pipe havingtwo branches 'S and S between vwhichra 'valve-"T ris interposed havin'gan arm'U attached to a shiftingva'lve-rodV Fig. 1 'operated by a lever'V. l Therends off the cavity ofthe-,cylinder portion L are oon'- nected in the same manner through a'pipe of two-branches W andW- between 'vizhichl is ginte'rpo'sed-l-a valve.2 provided with a inclose the trunnions `D. 'A bolt 5 extends `numeral 11 having at the usual.

the structure of these valves willi-be ex.

plained after describing the other portions of the apparatus'. At the' rear ofthe cylinare two lugs ll'which, as shownin Fig. 3, are preferably bifurcated and adapted, for instance, to be dropped upon and C of the winding drum through the bifurcated end and serves to hold .the cylinder in place 'at that end but permits it to tilt.- As mount-- a r1g1d manner is a short shaft 7. having fixed' at its middle an upright" arm 8 A-to of the cylinder and carried between-them` in -f whose upper end the piston-rod O is pivot.

ally attached'. At each extremity of said shaft is. fixed 'a vertically disposed crossarm 9 having at each end a pulley or sheave -10. The front wheel-axle isdenoted bythe places, near its ends, means Vto whicht'he steermg chains l2and 12 'extends lrearward and upward, as' in Figs. 1 and 2, over one of'tlieupper sheaves and then downward and'forward over the .lower i 'sheave, its end 'being attachedto'the windslightly different disposition of the chains f tached ends of' .N0w, since the chains extend from the wheel.

'axle' overjthe downward ing drums D. vThe opposite chain'extends roller of .theothencross-arm 9, thence upward and forward over the sheave above it, thence to and uponthe winding drum, thisV said chain being wound upon said drum in 'anfopposite direction from thatiin which the otherchain is wound; but this.. method ofV winding is'. customary -in'ste'ering devices, AI merely havingdeseribed it to show-.that I make no 'change in the structure, ofthe en-` gine and its parts, there. being only the in running thein. overthe sheaves And in 'usingmy steering gear the winding drum has`no movement whatever the rear 'atsition. l

In the reciprocations ofv thefpiston rod the lcross..arms -9 through the arm 8 -and shaft v-7-are rockedv forward or backward.

pulleys in opposite directions 1t follows -that therocking. movement of the armin one directionv will tend to Vshorten the l'distance between thev attached endsof' Y- one of the'cha'ins andfpermit .the distancel between theendsof thefother to increase.- f y/Fovr instance, ifsthe \-f'so" as to carrydts and-the loweroneforward, bothends' of the.

arm A9 in Fig.v 3, is moved upper sheave backward movement of the are'connected. One of the latterl and rearward under the lower the chains having affixed po.

. cavity behind chain l2 indicated by the broken lines will be drawn upon and cause a simultaneous reverse direction of movement for the oppositely wound chain 12, which will slacken in exact The result is, therefore, that the wheel axle will be swung in the direction desired del pending, of. course, upon the direction of piston or upon the direction in which the chains arewound upon the sheaves. The arms 6 receive the thrust or pull, as the case may be, incident to the -steering operation and the cylinder may tilt necessary due to the small to the extent arcuate movement Of the arm 8 although the vcylinder and thesaid arm may tend to rock together the-tension of the chain serving to support the members in position. If at any time, however, steering wheel H that member will move the -chains arou'ndl their several sheaves-the steering being accomplished in the usual Wjifhe. manner `of imparting movement` to ythe piston will now be described. The valve 1s .a four-Way valve and connected to it "is a pipe 13` forthe supply of steam or proportion to which the first is tightened. m

it is desired to use the compressed air arid said valve is made some what in the same form. as, the common plug-valve the movable portion being indicated by the numeral lelwhicli is mounted on a stern 15 to which' thevalve-arm U, before described, is attached. Thislnember 14 is inclosed in a casing 16 having an inlet opening 17 for the steam 'and an outlet for the exhaust at 18, and at opposite sides o f thecasing the pipe branches S and S are connected. In the periphery of the4 member 14 are two grooves 19 and -20 the former being arranged so that it will. connect the steampipe 13 with either o-the side openings leading to the pipe S S. The groove 20 isalso of such any extent that ,it will con-` nect one of the last mentioned openings with the exhaust at 1,8, see Fig. 3. In the-position shown in this gure, the valve having been swung by the movement of the valvercd V the steam will pass from the pipe-13 through .the groove 19 'and the pipe S"\ into the end of the steam cylinder at the right of the piste-n.13 thus forcing said piston toward the left and the steam that may be\ in `the the piston will find its.k way through the pipe S, t-he groove '20 an the lopening 18 of the valve. The valve\ is falso of the plug variety, by preference, and lthe movable member 21' therein is provided with two'bores 22 and 23 extendingentirely through it at right angles to each other.\ In the present instance the normal position oitV `the valve when ythe gear is at' rest is such that the said bores 22 and 28V occupy theposition shown in dotted lines'in Fig. 3.

When, however, the steam valve is changed.

in position'and lies as shown in the figure,

since the cylinder and the pipes and valvesare entirely full ot' oil the movement of this fluid will result the moment the piston Q changes position in the slightest degree and it is evident that it' the valve 2 isclosed so by the imprisoned oil.

that there is no communication between the two-ends of the cylinder the piston Q will be absolutely 'Y prevented from moving rei gardless of the'extent ofv pressure placed thereon through the piston-rod O, chains, and wheel axle. Both the valves T and 2 will be closed simultaneously since both valvesare operated by the same1nember the valve-rod V. AAi movement of the latter in one direction or the other will, ofcourse, result in causing the steam to enter at one side of the piston P or the other and will always open the valve 2 for the movement ofthe oil and movement is thereby imparted to the wheel axle in the desired direct-ion and the moment the steam is cut Voff the gearing is automatically locked through the piston Q In bringing out my invention I desire to make it understood that I am aware thatit is not new to steer by means of a steam operated device but l believe it is new to combine a steam pressure device with a Huid substantially in the manner shown and described whereby a perfect steering operation can be had Wi'than automatic lock and especially oy the particular and peculiar ar rangement. of the parts comprised -in my steering gear. l

Having thus described. my invention, l claim:- f l 1. The combination with a steering mech-v anism, of a piston-rod having controlv of it, a cylinder having a Wall dividing it into two entirely separite chambers havinfr no.

communication with one another and'iaving the piston-rod extending into both said chambers ai'id through said wall, a piston secured, on'said rod at each side of the wall, there being a separate passage 4connecting the ends of each chamber", each said pas-v said piston-rod in each chamber, there being a separate passage connecting the ends of each chamber at each side ot the respective pistons,` the saine being entirely separate from the adjoiningchambers, a valvein cach passage, and means to operate them si mult-aneously.

The combination with a steering axle, of a piston-rod in control thereof, a cylinder having two non fcommunicating compartments into both of whichthe iston-rod extends, a separate-pipe connecting the opposite ends of each compartment 4but each closed as to the opposite compartment, a

valve in control of each pipe, and manually operated means 'incontrol of both valves.

The combination with a steering axle,

of a piston-rod in-contiol thereof, a cylinder having, two non-communicating compartments'into both of whichthe said piston-rod extends a separl te pipe connecting the opposite ends of each compartment but each closed as to the opposite compartment, a valve for each pipe, and means to operate the'valves simultaneously.

5. The combination with a steering axle, of a piston-rod, a cylinder having two noncommunicating compartments-into' both of which the said piston-rod extends, a pipe connecting the ends of one ot the compartv1nents,a'va1ve in said'pipe, a pipe connecting the ends of the other compartment and connected also with an outside pressure source, a valve in said pipe,'said pipes each 4being closed as to the `opposite compartment, and means to Aoperate both the valves.

6. The combination with a steering axle, of apiston-rod, a cylinder having two nonconimunicatin compartnfients4 into both of which the sai piston-rod extends, a pipe 'connecting 'the ends of one of the compartments, and separate from the opposite compartment, a valve in said ipe, a pipe con-l necting the ends of the otli and connected also with an outside pressure source, and separate from the neighboring compartment, a valve in said pipe and manually operatedv means connected to both v valves for operating lthem simultaneously.

7. The combination with a steering axle, of a member to impart movement thereto. a normally closed receptacle for a liquid having the member extending into it, 'a separate receptacle for receiving pressure and having the member also extending into it the said receptacle being non-communicating, there er compartment.

being a separate conduit for each receptacle' to connect its ends, a valve in control of each conduit, and means to operate both valves simultaneously. p i

8. The combination with alsteering axle, of a closed liquid containing` cylinder having its ends connected by a passage, a valve in I the passage, a cylinder adapted for receiving steam pressure and separated and closed from the other and'having a passage connecting its ends, a valve in said passage, a member to impart movement to the axle and extending into both the cylinders, and means in control '/of both valves to operate them simultaneously.

/9. -The combination with the steering axle of a traction engine of a steam cylinder, a piston-rod therein adapted to impart movement to the axle, there being a passage connecting the `ends of the cylinder, a valve therein to control the pressure admitted to the cylinder, a chamber separate from the cylinder and having a passage connecting its ends, a valve in said passage, a member in said chamber to control the piston-rod, and means in control of both valves.

10. The combination with a steering mechanism, of a member anda piston thereon in control of it, a closed cylindercontaining an imprisoned liquid into which the member extends, a conduit connectingthe ends of the cylinder, a valve in said conduit to Control the movement ofthe fluid from one end of the ends. of the said receptacle at each side of the piston, a valve in, control of the said conduit, a receptacle for steam, a piston therein having connected relation withthe iirst said piston, a conduit connecting the receptacle with itself at each side of the piston, a valve therein to'control the. entrance and escape of steam, and` meansrto operate both the valves simultaneously;

12. In an apparatus ofl the character described, the combination withl a steeringaxle, of a cylinder for receivingl external pressure and a cylinder for containing an imprisoned liquid, a piston for each cylinder, a piston-rod carrying both'pistons and 'adapted to impart a steering movement to the steering-axle, the ends of the each cylinder being connected by a passage separate fromf'each vother and each separate from-the vother cylinder,a valve in control lof each passage and means tooperate both valves simultaneously,

18. The combination with. a steering-axiaof a rocking member, a support on which the member nasV a horizontal axis, means to rock`A the said member, and a chain attached to" each end of the axle and extending 'over the member' in opposite directions and secured' rearward thereof, the' member adapted in its rocking movements to shorten the distance between the ends of 'one ot' said chains.

14. The combination with a steering-axle, of a member adapted to rock on a horizontal axis and having an upper and lower extension, a support for the member, a chain attached to one end of the axle and extending 'over the upper and beneath the lower extension and secured rearward Iof theI member, and a chain attached to the-other end of the axle andextending under the lower extension and over the upper extension of the member and also secured rearward thereof, anlvmeans to rock the member.

O'. scribed, the combination withV a steeringaxle, of a support, a member to rock on said support on a substantially horizontal axis having an extension above and an extensibn .below the axis of movement, a device connected to the latterat each extremity of the axle` and extending over the member and fixed imposition rearward. of the same, and means to rock the member, said member adapted when tilted to shorten the distance between the ends of one of thedevices.

16. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a steeringaxle, of 'a support a member to rock on sald lsupport on a substantially horizontal axis, and having an extension above and below its axis, a device attached to each end of the axle, Aone of them extending over and beneath the upper and lower extension respectively, the other extending over and beneath In an apparatus of the character dethe lower and upper extensions respectively x and both-secured in a ixed position at their rear ends, and means to rock the members.

17. In aV steering-gear, tlie combination with, a steering axle, of a cylinder having two compartments separated by a wall, a piston in each compartment, a piston-rod carrying both said pistons and in control of theaxle, a. separate pipe connecting the ends of each compartment, a valve in each "pipe, and means connecting and simultaneously operatingboth valves.'

18. In a steering-gear including a steering-axle,.thecombination of a cylinder having two compartmentsa piston in each, a member'to carryfboth pistons and adapted for controlling the axle,` a pipe for each compartment or connecting the ends therelof,'a valve in eaclrnipe, and means to simultaneously'o'perate both valves, one of the latter adapted for introducing pressure 'into the compartment with which it isin control.

19. The combination withY the steeringf axle of'a traction engine, of a steamcylinderand its piston mounted on the engine, a rocking member likewise mounted ony the, engine on a-substatnia1ly horizontal axis' and having a part lying'above and-a part lying below its said axis, the `pistonhaving oper- Sgo ative connection with said member torock it,

a Valve to control pressure of steam to the piston, a chain attached to each end of the axle and extending in opposite directionsy ried at one end on the engine, a support carried by the engine andhavlng a member pivoted thereon with a part above and a part below its pivot and having the piston attached thereto, a chain attached to each endv ofthe said axle and extending rearward inopp'osite directions, one of them passing over Vt-he'up'per extension and'beneath the lower one, the other chain passing` beneath the lower extension and over the upper one,

said Winding drum.

both thence extending rearward to and upon In testimony whereof Iaix myV Signature,

`in presence of two witnesses.

. WILLIAM H.- KEITER.. Witnesses:

L. M. THURLQW,

AUGUSTA BURKHARDT. 

